2002 Honda Odyssey oil leak

Tiny
IAMDAWSONSPAWPAW
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY
  • 3.5L
  • V6
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 214,000 MILES
I just bought this minivan, they told us that before they had the oil changed it did not leak, and after it was changed by a mechanic, it developed a leak from somewhere around the oil filter, I replaced the oil filter and did not over tighten it, but the leak remains, could it be the gasket where the oil filter attaches to the engine?
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Saturday, February 15th, 2014 AT 12:19 PM

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Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,689 POSTS
There's a dozen places oil can leak from. There's no way we can tell where over a computer. You need to look for the highest place you see oil. If it's hard to tell, you can wash the area with engine degreaser, then add a small bottle of dark purple dye to the oil. Search a day or two later with a black light. The dye will show up as a bright yellow stain that you can follow back to the source. Auto parts stores will have the dye, and those that rent or borrow tools should have the black light.

It's not uncommon for oil to start leaking shortly after an oil change when a different brand of oil was used. Different brands have different additives that may not be compatible. Seal conditioners is the one in question. When that happens, the leak often clears up if you go back to the previous brand or one with similar additives. Unfortunately, there's no way to know which brands those are. It seems that most commonly leaks start when switching to synthetic oils.
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Saturday, February 15th, 2014 AT 2:45 PM

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